Midwest faces minimal risk of spring floods

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Despite the snow still covering the upper Midwest, National Weather Service experts are optimistic that spring flooding will be minimal in the nation’s Heartland.

Several Midwestern branch offices of the National Weather Service released spring flood outlook reports late Thursday.

None project significant flooding on all waterways, and the risk of even minor flooding is below normal in many places.

That’s a bit of a surprise considering how snowy the winter has been. Parts of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa still have up to 3 feet of snow on the ground.

National Weather Service hydrologist Mark Fuchs in suburban St. Louis says the snowfall has been offset by unusually low river levels and drought. He says when the snow melts, much of it is expected to soak into the parched ground.